Creamy Chive Dip

Our Chive Dip is incredibly versatile, packed with flavour and very simple to make. Enjoy it as a dip with crisps, crudites, hash browns, or pitta breads. Alternatively, for something a little different, it's fantastic drizzled over maple roasted carrots or a salad.

We add fresh chives and a splash of lemon juice to make this an incredibly tasty, but simple, dip for the whole family to enjoy that's ready in just a few minutes. Typically chive dips are also made with sour cream, but as this is a vegan alternative, we've omitted that part entirely and used cashews instead. The result? Smooth, creamy, and bursting with the delicious flavour of fresh chives, that'll keep you coming back for more.

For inspiration on how to jazz this up in different ways, check out the substitutions and variations section towards the bottom of this post.

Jump to:

• What You'll Need
• How to make the dip
• Substitutions & Variations
• Storage
• Recipe tip
• FAQ's
• Creamy Chive Dip Recipe
• Recipe
• Comments

What You'll Need

Ingredients

• Cashews - Used regularly in vegan cooking as a dairy alternatively. Their mellow flavour lends well to various dishes and dips, ranging from sweet to savoury. We haven't soaked the cashews, thankfully as we use a Vitamix, consistency wise there is no need to pre-soak. However, if you don't have a high speed blender, or generally prefer the taste of blended cashews after soaking, then you can soak them prior to use for 8 hours/overnight.
• Chives - Fresh chives have an oniony taste and aroma to them, although they are much milder and less pungent than onions.
• Lemon Juice - Fresh lemon juice compliments the flavour of the chives, and brings it out more. We have made the dip without it as well, but it tastes much better with it.
• Salt - Added for flavour, you can vary the amount depending on your tastes.

Equipment

• Chopping board.
• Juicer (optional).
• High speed blender.
• Sharp knife.

How to make the dip

• First, juice the lemon. You can do this just by squeezing the lemon or by using a juicer, it's entirely your preference. Just be sure no pips make their way in to the blender.
• Add the cashews, lemon juice, water and salt in to the blender. Blend on a high speed for 30 seconds, or until smooth and creamy. Transfer to a bowl ready for mixing in the chives.

• Dice the chives up finely and add to your bowl of cashew cream. Stir well to combine.
• Serve and enjoy.

Hint: Make this slightly ahead of time. The longer the chives are in the cashew cream, the more 'infused' it will be, which brings out a stronger flavour. 2-3 hours is plenty. Equally you can make it up a day or two before.

Substitutions & Variations

• Garlic - Adding in some roasted garlic, or even garlic powder, will greatly compliment the chives. If adding roasted garlic, add 2-3 cloves. If using garlic powder, add ½ tsp. Whichever option you go for, add to the blender at the same time as the cashews.
• Herbs - You can easily add other herbs in to mix it up. Basil, Tarragon, Cilantro and Parsley all work well with chives. We suggest going for a 50/50 split of Chives and any other chosen herb, based on the quantity in the recipe card.
• Cheese & Chive - You can change this into a vegan version of the popular cheese & chive dip by adding 2 tablespoons of nutritional yeast, and ½ teaspoon of garlic powder, to the blender when making the cashew sauce. You can also omit the lemon juice for this version.

Storage

Store the dip in an airtight container in the fridge, where it will last for 3-5 days.

Recipe tip

Cashew creams tend to thicken a little after refrigerating, so you may want to loosen it with 1-2 tablespoons of water before serving, if making ahead of time.

FAQ's

Creamy Chive Dip Recipe

Recipe